Two individuals have been sentenced to prison following an incident where a loaded shotgun was discharged through a letterbox, causing severe injuries to a 15-year-old boy who sustained 30 gunshot wounds.
During the event, one of the individuals, masked with a balaclava, was filmed by an associate before both fled the scene in a stolen vehicle parked nearby. Efekan Karahan, 18, and Ashley Corbin, 21, traveled to a Cardiff address on June 7 with the intention of delivering a message, as revealed in court.
The attack was linked to an ongoing dispute over drugs involving a family member of the victim, as disclosed in Newport Crown Court. The victim and his younger sibling were alone at home during the attack, as their mother was attending a birthday party.
The two men had traveled from Bristol to execute the shooting, purportedly on behalf of a rival organized crime group. Corbin drove them to Cardiff in a stolen grey Volkswagen Golf.
The 15-year-old was downstairs making coffee when he heard a noise at the front door. Upon investigating, he saw a dark figure through the door’s glass panel and then heard gunshots, resulting in leg injuries.
Medical experts treated the victim for multiple pellet wounds, with some pellets deeply lodged in his leg. Without a protective barrier behind the letterbox, the injuries could have been more severe.
Investigations into the defendants’ whereabouts led to the recovery of the stolen vehicle and the discovery of incriminating evidence linking them to the crime scene. Both individuals were apprehended in Bristol driving a stolen vehicle and had footage of the incident on their phones.
Karahan admitted to possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, while Corbin confessed to possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. The court sentenced Karahan to eight years and four months in prison, with an extended license period, and Corbin to a six-year prison term with an extended license period.
Following the court proceedings, Leighton Mawer from the Crown Prosecution Service emphasized the premeditated nature of the crime and the serious consequences of using firearms in such incidents.
